Tuesday, December 15, 2015

This past weekend, BUGS celebrated all the Fathers and outstanding men that have helped to shape the lives of our students. Saturday morning marked the BUGS first annual Breakfast with Dads and the turnout was amazing. The Dads and their children were all served Chicken and waffles, and participated in a touching activity in which they all signed an inspirational card to read aloud to their child. In that card the Dads wrote reasons why they were proud of their child. We were also joined by David Miller from Dare To Be King who facilitated a brief workshop with everyone. All in all i think the first Breakfast with Dads was a great event and went off without a hitch!

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

The year is off to a great start and all the components are up to some pretty awesome stuff. I'm here to share some of the great things that the Ladybugs and Spiders have been up to in STEM.

The Ladybugs got a chance to visit the famous Mr. Trash Wheel in the Inner Harbor and see him in action as he scoops trash out of the Jones Falls.We got to talk about alternate energy sources because he runs entirely on water and solar power!

Then, we spent some time finding the Trash Wheel, BUGS campus, the school and all our houses on a map of Baltimore. We even built our very own compasses using a paperclip, magnet and styrofoam.

Next, we looked at where we are in Maryland, the United States and the world.

The Spiders explored the different parts and functions of the digestive system by constructing their very own models. They discovered that the digestive system is basically one long tunnel whose job is to turn food into fuel for our bodies.

Rafael and Gabriel labeling their model

Timothy labeling the parts of their model

Then, they had to test out their models by "chewing" and "digesting" some saltine and bananas. Luckily it was a beautiful day outside because digestion is messy work.

Timothy, Tavon, Jumiah and Keon work on chewing up the food in the "mouth"

Eddie and Tharon work the food down the throat and into the stomach as Erick watches.

Eddie and Marquise squeeze the food through the small intestine while Jamal capture nutrients.

This week, the Spiders have been exploring outside their bodies. We have been using a microscope to look at the structure of various objects found on the BUGS campus.

Here's Jose collecting some samples.

The Spiders gathered around as each gets to examine their objects.

Take a look at some of the thing they collected:

A simple piece of mulch

A close-up view of a flower

Hidden hairs covering a sage leaf

Don't worry, we've also been taking advantage of the great weather to spend some time outdoors playing. We had an great time at Patterson Park on Friday playing frisbee, swinging and running around.

Friday, September 25, 2015

The first week of BUGS was a SUCCESS!! After a rigorous recruitment phase, the limited spots were all filled, and the students of BUGS all returned excited, eager and full of energy, ready to take on the new year! Even after just a weeks time, this year is shaping up to be a very exciting and fun filled year with so many surprises in store. The BEST after school program in Baltimore City is back!

Friday, May 29, 2015

The service berries are bright red and there are goslings running rampant on campus. That can only mean one thing: it's officially spring time.
The students and staff alike do their best to avoid the geese (and all their droppings)!, but the service berries are another story. Each afternoon the tree is surrounded by a group of students and teachers picking and eating the delicious fruit, which resemble blueberries in taste and appearance.

Service berries growing on BUGS campus

Students picking service berries

Cooking class in particular has benefited from this bounty. The Ladybugs spent a lovely afternoon picking berries and then baking them into delicious muffins.

Ladybug Arly mixing up some service berries muffins

Springtime at BUGS also means lots of opportunities to play outside and enjoy the lovely weather. On recent Fridays students have had chances to roll down Federal Hill before visiting the American Visionary Arts Museum(AVAM) and play at Patterson Park.

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Tuesday, May 12, 2015, was free ice cream day at Haagen-Dazs! For a special treat, many of the teachers walked to the local Haagen-Dazs in Harbor East with their students. The students really enjoyed the experience, exploring a new part of Baltimore that they may not know existed. The childrens' faces lite up with excitement and joy when we told them our surprise for them!

The ice cream was fabulous! Thank you, Haagen-Dazs, for providing our children with an awesome experience!

Friday, May 1, 2015

From making Ice Cream and Pasta with Ms. Ronnie, to making pillows, tote bags, and snow globes with Ms. Kat, planting numerous plants with Mr. Jason and making Soaps and scrubs with Ms. Valerie, The 19th Annual BUGS Farmers Market was a complete success. The children all showcased all the cool things they made throughout the year, worked every station diligently and made such a huge profit for the program all while having fun and being as awesome as they possibly could. Every child woke up eager and ready to help and have fun on a saturday morning and made our Farmers Market a flawless event. Lots of people from our neighboring communities, families and friends came out to support our students and their amazing work and to see their show stopping performance! There was dance, fashion, popcorn, face painting, music, food fresh off the grill, and the sound of children's laughter in the air, all the key ingredients to create The Bugs Farmers Market. Until next year..........:)

Monday, April 20, 2015

Where will you be this weekend?! At the BUGS Annual Farmers Market of course! Our students have been preparing for a months and it's going to be an amazing event! Come buy tomato, pepper, herb and flower plants for your garden, see amazing dancers in action, taste our homemade ice cream, purchase beautiful soaps and art and enjoy face painting and BBQ. Help us paint our raised beds and meet the BUGS chickens!

Monday, April 13, 2015

On the last day before spring break, BUGS ventured to the MD Science
Center! We attended an IMAX presentation about lemurs, an endangered
species in Madagascar. Afterwards, we had lunch by the Harbor and
explored the Science Center! Students got a chance to learn about many
topics, such as blue crabs and the Chesapeake Bay, dinosaurs, and had
the opportunity to lay on a bed of nails. It was a great way to spend
our last day together before the break!

Friday, March 20, 2015

The BUGS artists have been busy using their creative powers for good! The Ladybugs put their imaginations to work deciding what kind of superheroes they are - they designed and created costumes including masks, wings, bows and arrows, helmets, shields and capes. After visiting Guerilla Comics in Fells Point to research female super heroes it is clear that the ladybugs are some of the bravest, fiercest, and most powerful superheroes around.

Aside from this snowy first day of spring the weather has been beautiful and the BUGS students have been ready to celebrate warmth, seedlings sprouting, and the sun! Watercoloring around the gardens is a favorite new pastime.

What is BUGS?

The Baltimore Urban Gardening with Students (BUGS) Program of Living Classrooms Foundation works with children from under-served Baltimore City communities throughout the year with an after-school program as well as a summer program. The program's primary goal is to empower and inspire our children to develop academically, creatively, and socially.

The BUGS program serves 60 students from the Butchers Hill/Patterson Park/Fells Point community. Many of our students reside in public housing and low-income neighborhoods. These students have little access to green space and few extra-curricular activities available to them. The program engages youth in learning while providing them with a safe and healthy alternative to the streets.

BUGS is a national model program that uses activities such as cooking, gardening, creative arts and movement, and entrepreneurial projects to help increase academic performance in reading and math and improve student behavior. The program provides a dynamic learning environment at the Living Classrooms East Harbor campus, with access to vegetable and flower gardens planted by the students, and the only wetlands on Baltimore's Inner Harbor. Our 1:10 instructor/student ratio provides youth with the close attention they need to succeed socially and academically.

Contributors

BUGS Staff

Michelle Koehler, Consultant.

Michelle came to Living Classrooms in 1996 and worked on our farm, shipboard, and outreach programs.She was also the After School Program Coordinator, Renaissance Summer Program Director, and Program Manager of the Land-based Department.Michelle graduated from Towson University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History.

Outside of work, Michelle enjoys spending time with her husband and two children.She also has a passion for traveling.She has been all over Europe, Central America, South America, and Mexico and has plans to continue her travels.

Algernon Campbell, Program Director.Mr. Algernon is originally from Savannah, GA. He is a graduate of Morehouse College with a B.A in Theatre and Drama as well as a graduate of the Certificate of Dance Program from the Ailey School. He has danced with the Dallas Black Dance Theatre for 4 seasons and for other renowned choreographers. He has danced nationally and internationally in such countries as Japan, Austria, and Zimbabwe. He has lived in many cities and now resides in Baltimore County. He is a professional dancer, teacher, and choreographer at the Morton Street Dance Center and Greater York Center for Dance Education.

Tyone Pompey, Creative Movement and Dance.

I Just Want To Dance! As a young boy growing up on Baltimore’s Westside I realized early on my passion for the Arts, particularly dance. Growing up as a resident in the inner city there were not many positive outlets for a young man like myself, but I managed to find one at Cahill Performing Arts Recreation Center. This center helped to lay the foundation and growth of this craft for me, in such a magnificent way that I want to be able to do the same for other youth and have been doing so since the age of 17. I’ve been a member of various dance troupes and performed in numerous competitions both local and out of state. Even though I am a recent graduate of Towson University, majoring in Electronic Media and Film, I am still holding true to my love of the arts teaching all who would like to learn the gift of dance.

Martin Zang, Cooking and Nutrition.Martin Zang is originally from Manchester, Michigan, a small town that barely could be seen on a map. He has recently graduated from Eastern Michigan University where he studied History and Political Science. Martin has always had a passion for cooking and healthy eating instilled in him by his Parents. He has worked in numerous restaurants in as many positions; this gave him the opportunity to learn more about food then just how to eat it. In his free time Martin likes to teach himself new recipes, have cookouts with friends, grow his own food, and do a little wood working.

Valerie Koury, STEM.I grew up in Osceola, Arkansas and moved to Maryland 11 years ago. I went to UMBC and majored in Psychology. I used to be a cheerleader for my high school and university. I enjoy reading, watching TV, baking, and being crafty. I am a big Orioles and Ravens fan (lets go Os!). Working with children and being a teacher has been my dream since I was 4 years old, so I am excited to be here! I teach STEM and I hope to do a lot of fun experiments this year.

Jason Reed, Gardening and the Environment.

Jason Reed has worked as a garden educator in Baltimore City for the past 5 years. Before that, he lived in Baltimore City as a music student at Peabody conservatory, and toured the country as a performing musician. He is also Director of the Filbert Street Garden, a one-acre outdoor community education space in South Baltimore.

Jason has given workshops and facilitated discussions for the Master Gardeners, Parks and People Foundation, Child First Authority, Towson University, UMBC and more. He is a founding member of the Mid-Atlantic Farm-Based Educators Network. In his own garden, Jason loves growing native herbal plants and perennial fruit bushes, and just hanging out with his chickens.

Kadija Ndiaye, Creative Art.

Kadija graduated from Morgan State University with a degree in Family and Consumer Sciences, her favorite classes were Art, Sewing and Urban Housing and Development.

Kadija has always been passionate about arts and crafts; during her junior year of college she shared her passions as an aftercare teacher at the Green School of Baltimore. During summer vacation you can find Kadija at Baltimore city libraries teaching arts and craft classes. During her free time she enjoys thrifting and DIY projects.